Unexpected Dig, Unexpected Finds

I got called into work at the last minute today, for at least a half-day.  I took my MXT with me, incase I got out early.

I've hunted this yard in the past with good results, so I was hoping to get another shot today.

Maybe that was my motivation, but I got more than I wanted to get done before noon!  

I got out my gear and started detecting, but the yard was slim pickins today. I managed a few clad coins as I worked my way toward a grapevine that I could tell had been there for some time.

I got a weak, jumpy nickel signal at the base of one of the vines.  My machine was telling me it was close to 5-inches deep, so I wanted to see what it was.

At first, I wasn't sure if it was a coin.  My first thought was that it was a round metal punchout.  I've been fooled by them before.  

To my surprise, it was a coin.  Actually, the only identifiable thing on it is the date - 1910.  Right then I knew that I had found a good old v-nickel.

It seemed to be in rough shape.

In all my years of metal detecting and all the coins I've found, I've never had a nickel in this type of condition:

Cleaned up - front & back v-nickel

The more I look at it, it looks like it was in a fire.  There is some type of crusty material on the backside.

I've seen some guys clean up their dug nickels to a great condition.  I'm not big into cleaning my coins usually, but I wouldn't mind experimenting with this one.  If anyone has any tips or experience with cleaning nickels, please share it in an e-mail or in the comments.

With this find, I knew there was life left in the site, and I was hoping for more.  So I spent the next 15-minutes in that area, hunting it hard.  

 I came up with a small ornate buckle.

I detected my way over to the side yard.  The last time I was here, there was a fence separating this property from the neighbor's yard.  This time there was no fence.

I worked my way up the borderline and I got a sweet deep quarter signal.  I dug the plug and a glimpse of silver caught my eye.

 

Turned out to be a 1937 silver Washington quarter.

No way would I have found this if the fence was still there.

Satisfied with the hunt, I decided to take a break and head into town.  

***

I called a friend of mine to ask permission earlier, and I got a call back with the go-ahead just as I was getting into my truck... so, I headed straight over to his house, built in the 1920's.

It didn't take me long to get there and get started.

Nine times out of ten when I arrive at a new site, one of the first things I look for are the old washline posts.  I tend to have good luck in those areas, because you know there was action in those parts of the property.

I did a quick (couple minute) scan and got a couple decent signals so I started to dig.  The first hole in turned up an old makeup compact from (I'm guessing) the 40's or 50's.

I dug a few clad coins, a few pieces of trash, and turned up another makeup compact.

A few minutes later, I got a jumpy signal - and I found a smashed thimble.  I enjoy finding thimbles...

 I've found a small collection over the years.

The next decent target was a little copper buckle and then I also managed to find a 1944 wheat penny before it got ridiculously hot and I decided to call it quits.

I like when days like this happen.  I got called into work at the last minute, and threw my machine in the truck on my way out the door. All-in-all it was a great day.

 Today's keepers.